TVR is effectively dead. British businessman Les Edgar tried to revive the legendary sports car maker in 2017 with the stunning Griffith concept. But by 2023, Edgar and his team had lost the rights to the Ebbw Vale factory in Wales, where production was supposed to begin. We haven’t heard a peep from the company since. That isn’t stopping a few intrepid enthusiasts from keeping the TVR name alive—surprisingly, in the United States. A company called TVR Garage is opening a new showroom in Las Vegas, Nevada, dedicated to importing TVR models for fans to gawk over—and, hopefully, to purchase. Founded by Andi Hughes and Gavin Bristow, two lifelong TVR aficionados, TVR Garage aims to share their love of quirky British sports cars with a wider audience. While the business has existed for a few years already, it recently took a big leap forward by partnering with auto broker CarWiz to open a new 15,000-square-foot facility. In an interview with Road & Track, co-founder Andi Hughes explained that TVR Garage focuses on importing unmodified, low-mileage TVR models whenever possible. The company is capable of restoring certain cars, but it prefers examples that are already close to road-ready. Because of the 25-year import rule, only select TVRs are eligible for import. Anything built before the year 2000 qualifies, including early versions of some of the brand’s most iconic models—the Cerbera, Chimaera, and Griffith. Hughes mentioned that he once considered importing LS-swapped TVRs for reliability, but US import laws prohibit modified vehicles. For now, TVR Garage is intentionally keeping its operations small. “Having 10 customers a year would be cool,” Hughes told Road & Track, “but we’d rather stick to a few at a time for time management.” As a result, landing one of these imported British sports cars is only open to a select few. Currently, TVR Garage lists a handful of models for sale on its website, including a few Tuscans, some Cerberas, and one droptop Griffith. Each car has fewer than 60,000 miles on the odometer and is in near-perfect condition. Photos by: TVR Garage Prices vary depending on the model. Some of the Tuscan and Cerbera examples exceed $90,000 to $100,000, but the Olympic Blue Griffith is a bargain by comparison, at just under $40,000. That car features a 5.0-liter V–8 producing 335 horsepower, paired with a six-speed manual transmission. While we certainly wish TVR were still building new sports cars, TVR Garage is the next best thing. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
+69 others
